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FCA fall just short against Dortmund

After five games unbeaten, FCA were narrowly beaten at home by Dortmund 2-1. The visitors took the early lead through Andriy Yarmolenko in the fourth minute, before Caiuby answered back for FCA in the eleventh. However, Shinji Kagawa scored a sublime goal to regain the lead for Dortmund, and that would prove to be the winner (23’).

Manuel Baum made two changes to the side that played out a goalless draw in Stuttgart the week prior. Daniel Baier made his return after his ban, and took back the captain’s armband in the process. Gojko Kacar made way. Michael Gregoritsch was the other change, as he came in for Ja-Cheol Koo.

The first chance of the game fell to the home side. Marcel Heller crossed the ball into the Dortmund area, but Alfred Finnbogason’s header went harmlessly into Roman Bürki’s hands (3’). After the corner that came on the back of the ensuing counter attack, Yarmolenko managed to score a back heel to put Dortmund into the lead (4’). 1-0.

That lead wasn’t to last for long though, as Caiuby headed FCA level in the eleventh minute after a pinpoint cross from Philipp Max. It was the Brazilians second goal of the season. Shortly after, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came close to regaining the lead for Dortmund, but a well positioned Hitz made the save (15’).

Dortmund’s dangerous spell wasn’t to end there. Aubameyang managed to take adavantage of a misunderstanding between Martin Hinteregger and Philipp Max to find Yarmolenko in the penalty area. The Ukrainian then laid the ball off to the arriving Shinji Kagawa, who lifted the ball over a helpless Hitz to take the 2-1 lead for his side (23’).

The next big chance came in the 32nd minute, when Marc Bartra played a long ball straight down the pitch to an unmarked Aubameyang, but his crossovers did not fool Hitz, and the Swiss keeper kicked the ball out of danger. Hitz was called into action yet again in the 43rd minute, after Hinteregger gave the ball away to Dahoud. The FCA goalkeeper pulled out a fantastic save to deny the shot from nine metres out. Despite yet another chance for Kagawa, the half time whistle finally blew, and FCA went into the dressing room trailing by just one goal.

FCA came out of the break with intent, clearly wanting to get at least a point out of the game. Daniel Baier and Caiuby both came close to an equaliser, but Baier’s volley went just over and Caiuby’s header was saved well by Bürki (59’). Augsburg were now clearly on the front foot, and they came close again after another great cross from Philipp Max found Gregoritsch, but the Austrian’s header was stopped yet again by Bürki (66’).

As the game wound down, FCA threw everything at Dortmund. Manuel Baum brought on Sergio Cordova in the 67th minute so two strikers could be on the pitch. However, Dortmund had the next big chance, and should really have put the game beyond all doubt. The referee came back to have a look at an incident in the FCA penalty area during a corner kick – and he decided that Lukasz Piszczek had been fouled. However, Aubameyang tried an audacious chip straight down the middle from the resulting penalty, and Hitz caught it easily (79’). FCA still had a chance.

Augsburg did all they could in the closing minutes to earn the equaliser. BVB’s lead was looking tenuous. Caiuby’s shot in the 90th minute came very close, while an attempted cross from Max almost fooled everyone to find the far corner, but it went just wide instead (90+2). At the other end of the pitch, Aubameyang was flying towards the FCA goal with two men in support, but Daniel Opare made a wonderful tackle to snuff out the danger. The visitors managed to hold onto their narrow 2-1 lead in what remained of the game, and Augsburg were unfortunately left unrewarded for their stoic second half efforts.

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